Thursday, December 11, 2008

At Long Last

It's official. After nearly a year and a half (and 109 blog posts) toiling at internships and scouring classifieds, I have landed a permanent position. Put simply: I GOT A JOB!

I will start in January and will be part of the creative team. My duties will include copywriting, design and media planning. There is talk that I'll have these things called "benefits."

This blog was started as a way to keep sane while looking for a job. I had no inkling that the hunt would take this long, but am relieved it is over. Now, as I assemble my wish list of consumer goods to purchase (a car is high on the list), I renounce my monastic, frugal ways.

To those still fighting the good fight:
  • Network--even if it doesn't lead to a job, it helps to have people to converse with and get advice from. Having a strong social network consisting of friends and family, as well as alumni helps support you and prevent you from hitting the bottom of the pool. Also, don't be afraid to reach out to alumni. You will be surprised at how many people are willing to offer you their advice and share their path to their current job.

  • Setup search agents to do the work for you. I used indeed.com, which searches several sites.

  • Find a way to be creative. For me, this blog served as a forum to write about the news and the plight of the recent graduate.

  • Volunteer--Whenever you feel that your life is horrible, you need to realize that it is always worse for someone else. Volunteering enables you to get out of the house and give some of your time to help others. An added bonus is you may make some connections.

  • Faith--Probably the biggest thing that got me through this period beside my mom and sister was having faith that I would end up wherever I was meant to be. Pouring on the prayers didn't hurt either.


  • I will continue to post about stories that catch my eye and working always provides stories. Thanks for reading.

    Wednesday, December 10, 2008

    [Bleepin'] Blago

    If 24/7 coverage isn’t enough to satiate your hunger pangs:

    * http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/12/ongoing_investigation.php
    * http://www.chicagotribune.com/
    * http://www.wttw.com/res/pdf/Blagojevich-Harris-CriminalComplaint.pdf

    There is talk on the blogs of an insanity defense.

    Beyond Illinois, the Wildcats took a big hit with these arrests. Blago and his Chief of Staff, John Harris, both went to NU. Guess they missed the course on ethics. Can't wait to see these updates in the alumni newsletter.

    It is interesting to see how media handled the expletives. Some opted for f*****, while others left a bit more to the imagination with [expletive]. Sadly, I didn't see any cartoonish #(*%^(@^!.